Daily Devotions

06/12/2018

My husband and I have three children at home. They are 13, 10, and 4. Having kids in the house makes my home loud, super fun, and just a little chaotic! I am so glad God blessed me with the children He has given me!

My husband and I often talk about how different each of our children are, and how our parenting skills have to change depending on the child. It can be an exhausting dynamic. For instance, my oldest follows the typical oldest child syndrome. He is well-behaved and hardly gets into any trouble. Even when he was younger, I hardly had to reprimand him. He liked structure and rules, and he still does.

Just when we thought we were getting the hang of this parenting thing, along came little sister, our middle child. When she was little, she gave us a run for our money! Not only did the rules we had set up with our oldest son not work for her, but she made sure we all knew about it! I had no idea what to do with her. Our parenting had to shift as we found solutions to help with behaviors that come with the toddler years.

Then God got really creative when He blessed us with our youngest son! He is almost 5. He can be described as spirited, hilarious, strong-willed, and makes us laugh every day. I have so much love for all three of my kids. I always think of how my love for them doesn’t compare to the love God has for us, an “agape” love that is nothing like any love we know on earth. Agape is used to express the unconditional love God has for us, His children. It’s hard for me to imagine that kind of love. That’s what makes God so special. Nobody else can love us the way He does! He loves everything about us because He made us perfectly in His image.

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;

male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:26-27

We’re raising our kids to know God’s love for them. That is my daily prayer. I want them to know He can be trusted and He wants the best for them. I want my children to know that God’s love for them doesn’t change because they messed up. I want them to know they can go to Him in prayer and God will always show up. He will always be there!

Parenting is a tough job, but so rewarding. I wish kids came with owner’s manuals of some sort, but with the Bible as our guide, we can do our best to teach our kids God’struths and promises for them. And most importantly, the love our Heavenly Father has for all of us!

This week, think of the agape love God has for you. Ask Him to show you how to love others the best you can. I’ll be asking Him, too!